Dribbles
by Eve Is My Pen Name
Summary: A collection of drabbles including assassins, small children, time travel, and lots of implied love. Not all in the same universe though.
1. Someday You As Well

Dribbles

* * *

 **Someday You As Well**

Akashi always remembered.

His Emperor Eye allowed him to see the future, but more importantly, he saw the past. The gift blessed him in this way since the beginning of time, but he occasionally thought of it as a curse. If he did not possess such a great power, then the gods would not have grown jealous and ensured that he would suffer in each and every lifetime.

Because though Akashi always remembered, Tetsuya never did.

He came close a few times. He teetered on the edge of all the lives they spent together, but then a film covered his eyes, and Akashi knew that another being interfered. Sometimes Tetsuya suddenly grew fierce and attacked him, and after that, Akashi stopped pushing him to remember.

He did not mind that Tetsuya tried to hurt him. No matter what time period, Akashi was stronger. No, he disliked when an interfering party altered Tetsuya's personality. He did not deserve that torment, and Akashi hated seeing him any other way but himself.

Akashi stopped prying at his memories, but he could not bring himself to stay away from Tetsuya completely. Their interactions and relationships changed each time.

Once, he and Tetsuya shared a bunk during World War II. Tetsuya died in his arms, and Akashi did not recover until they met the next time, and Akashi slept with him in his uncharacteristic desperation. He was a knight of England during that time and Tetsuya his squire. Another time, Akashi was a warrior of Greece, and Tetsuya practiced medicine, or at least the equivalent of that era. Another time still, Tetsuya played the piano, and Akashi hired him during every party he held.

Just to be close. Even a glimpse of eye contact warmed Akashi.

Sometimes those pale blue eyes stared at him with hate or confusion, but Akashi preferred anything over cool indifference. Though the times when they lingered with affection stayed in Akashi's memory with far more vivid detail.

It amused Akashi when they went to the same high school and played the same sport. Some of their lifetimes spoke of heavy importance and fateful occurrences, and then some seemed so insignificant in comparison. But to Akashi, nothing was truly unimportant. Even when he played basketball, he turned it into a game (a war) that he fully intended to win.

He realized too late that he pushed Tetsuya away during this lifetime. He yearned to bring him close no matter what, but then he hesitated when the opportunity presented itself. He feared intervention from those who yearned for his unhappiness.

So he kept Tetsuya at that careful distance. Close enough to observe and love. Far enough away to protect.

He sometimes wondered when he would be able to reveal all this knowledge, their many lives, to his soul mate, but after years and years of rebirthing and dying, he began to wonder if it would happen at all. During each lifetime he gathered more information to use against those who stood in their way, but when would he find the secret?

Akashi could not guess, but if one thing was certain, it was his eventual victory.

Someday he would hold Tetsuya close. Someday he would remember as well.


	2. Mischievous Streak

**Mischievous Streak**

"What are you doing to our child?"

Aomine heard Kuroko's quiet voice even despite the roar of the hair dryer, and he quickly switched off the device. His cheeks heated as he turned a glare to the smaller boy.

"What do you think?" he spouted. "You told me to dry Malaya's hair. I'm drying Malaya's hair!"

Kuroko lifted a single eyebrow, but the small shift in his expression spoke volumes of his skepticism. "It appears as if you are assaulting her," Kuroko pointed out.

Aomine glanced down at where he had their three-year-old child held fast against his stomach with one arm. His other hand held the hair dryer, and up until a moment ago, he had been doing his best to attack the little girl's dark curls with the warm air. As a police officer, he supposed he understood where Kuroko inferred that idea.

"She wouldn't stand still! Every time I started to dry her hair, she ran off, so I had to pick her up," Aomine defended himself gruffly.

Kuroko shook his head in his typical 'you are giving me a headache' way, but Aomine noticed a small hint of a smile teasing his lips.

"Put her down," Kuroko ordered, and Aomine obliged. The preschooler primly adjusted her skirt, shooting a disgruntled glance to Aomine. "Malaya, will you stand still for me please?"

"Yes, Daddy," Malaya replied instantly. She turned to show her bushy hair to Kuroko, and the shorter boy took the hair dryer from Aomine with only minimum smugness. Kuroko turned the dryer on and gently combed through Malaya's hair with his fingers as he rid them of the last remnants of her bath. The three-year-old stayed perfectly still until her curls bounced and Kuroko set the dryer aside.

Kuroko stood up straight to find Aomine glaring at him with a mix of resentment and reluctant awe. "How did you do that?" he exclaimed.

"You have to know how to speak to children," Kuroko said with a shrug.

Aomine averted his eyes, his expression stormy. Kuroko thought back to when they adopted Malaya two years ago. They initially planned to choose a Japanese boy of Kindergarten age, but when they arrived at the agency, a Filipino child just past her first birthday threw a block with surprising force and accuracy, and the toy hit Aomine in his temple.

Kuroko always said it was love at first sight.

No one was cut out for parenthood at the beginning, but Kuroko adapted quickly. He changed diapers and fixed bottles as if he had always done so. Aomine learned a bit slower, and though Kuroko never resented that, he worried that Aomine took it personally. Like he was having second thoughts.

Aomine loved Malaya. He joked that the dark-skinned girl took after him and his side of the family, and he managed to get her to sleep as a baby when Kuroko ran out of ideas. Still, times like this put a strain on him.

Kuroko granted Malaya permission to leave, and their daughter pranced off to her room. Kuroko closed the distance between he and Aomine and rose on his tiptoes to place a sweet kiss on his cheek.

"She comes to you when she wants to play. She comes to me for boring parent stuff. She's lucky that she has two fathers to cater to her different needs," Kuroko placated him.

Aomine sighed, and the tension left his shoulders. "I know," he muttered. "Thanks, Tetsu."

"Besides," Kuroko added. "That mischievous streak of hers comes solely from you."


	3. Points for Trying

**Points for Trying**

"It is rude to harass someone who is trying to go home."

Kise expected to hear plenty of things when he closed his eyes, his back pressed against the wall. Most of which ran along the lines of 'What other faces can you make?' and 'Can you pose for me?' or 'Let me show you how I'm your biggest fan.' He had been in the modeling business for a while now, and he dealt with his fair share of stalkers.

He really knew better than to put himself in this situation. His shoot ended late, and he was close enough to his apartment that he decided to walk home rather than take public transportation. His streak of bad decisions continued when he chose to take a shortcut through an alley.

The man with the hoodie and the knife and the wry sneer cornered him there.

"Ryouta, I have all your magazines in my bedroom," he cooed as he crept closer.

Kise shut his eyes, but he startled back into awareness when a surprisingly polite and quiet voice interrupted the typical stalker and victim exchange. Both turned their heads to find a tiny slip of a boy in a blue cardigan that matched his messy hair. His pale blue eyes regarded them impassively, and Kise wondered what this kid could possibly be thinking to interrupt something like this.

"Mind your own business," the stalker growled, and he completed the sentence with unflattering names that made even Kise uncomfortable.

"I cannot let you hurt a defenseless person when you are clearly at a disadvantage," the boy said. He stepped forward, and the stalker lunged.

So did Kise. If the boy had never gotten involved, this would have ended fine. Kise took self-defense classes after his first encounter with a stalker, and the initial fear and closing of his eyes was only a ploy to lure the attacker into a false sense of security.

Kise struck the man's pressure point in his right arm, and he dropped his knife. However, the move cost him, and he didn't have enough time to recover before the stalker swung at him. The blue-eyed boy ducked, but the stalker kicked out his leg and tripped him. The boy struck the ground with a loud crack, and his eyes closed and did not open.

Emotions surging and back in position, Kise avoided the stalker's punch and boxed him in the face. His muscles were not photo shopped, and the man did not move once he, too, hit the ground.

Kise called the police and then scooped up the kid to take him to the hospital.

…

The kid was not a kid. According to the ID in his wallet, the kid was Tetsuya Kuroko, and he was twenty-two, the same age as Kise. According to the doctors at the hospital, he had a minor concussion, and he could leave as soon as he woke up. According to Kise, he was clinically insane, and he needed to stay in his hospital bed for a long time.

What man with the body of a teenager challenged a man with a knife for the sake of a stranger?

Then it dawned on him that this Kuroko must have recognized him, and he hoped to gain some money or reward for saving the famous Ryouta Kise. This made far more sense, and Kise stayed in the chair beside Kuroko's bed only because he should at least thank the greedy miser for his attempt.

Not that he did much good. Kise took care of the stalker while Kuroko laid unconscious on the ground.

An hour or so later, Kuroko woke up, groggy and disoriented. Kise admitted to himself that it was a bit cute to see someone so unfazed in the face of a threat in such a vulnerable state, but he pushed that aside.

"Not that you did much to help, but here's your reward. What do you want? Try to be reasonable though," Kise said.

Kuroko rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. "Pardon?" he questioned.

"You know what I can do, so name your price," Kise repeated, a little irritated.

"I apologize, but I don't know who you are."

Kise cocked his head and regarded Kuroko suspiciously. The man did not seem to be lying. Rather, he looked confused and even concerned as if he was worried that Kise was the one with the concussion.

"You don't know who I am?" Kise scoffed.

Kuroko shook his head, but identities seemed to be the last thing on his mind. "Are you okay? I apologize that I could not help as much as I intended. What became of that man?"

"Um… the police arrested him," Kise supplied even as his thoughts desperately rearranged after Kuroko tore down his previous theories. "So wait. You have no idea who I am, but you were going to face that guy to protect me?"

Kuroko nodded. "It is only proper," he said.

Tears welled up in Kise's eyes. Everyone only treated him nicely because he was beautiful and a model. This kid – no, man – risked his life just to be kind? Kise could not handle it, and he wrapped his arms around Kuroko and squeezed.

Which apparently upset one of his monitors because the nurses came rushing in a moment later.

Kise knew a thing or two about stalkers, and so he quite successfully tracked down Kuroko's place of work, apartment, and grocery store within the week. It only progressed from there. Kuroko never could get rid of him.


	4. His Final Gamble

**His Final Gamble**

Akashi always considered Kuroko a gamble. When he first met the first year in the 'haunted' gym, he planted seeds of potential, buying stock as his father did in companies, and then he stepped back. A simple bet with no risk. All it cost was some time.

Three months later, that investment soared exponentially. Kuroko became more than Akashi ever imagined. Of course, as the value increased, so did the risk. Akashi knew Kuroko would be nervous his first game, but he did not expect him to trip over his own feet and cause a nosebleed. While Akashi never doubted himself, he did briefly consider that he might have placed his bet on the wrong player.

Nevertheless, a gamble on Kuroko always paid off.

Much later, Akashi made a different bet. The personalities inside of him switched, and the game changed. Both on the court and off of it.

Kuroko knew, and Akashi could see him crumbling.

But unlike the others of the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko did not need pampering or manipulating in order to keep him going. Akashi let Murasakibara and Aomine go. They were on a leash whether they knew it or not, but Akashi gave them the freedom they wanted. Midorima kept with the structure of practice, and Kise continued to play a sport in which he was a prodigy but not the best.

Kuroko was miserable, but he still gave his basketball. Akashi felt that was a safe bet.

So when he told Kuroko that he could resign from the club, he set the gamble into play. Put the offer on the table. Now Akashi was the one to present it, so if Kuroko gave in, Akashi was responsible. He knew Kuroko would not consent to that.

With one disguised question Akashi tied Kuroko to him and the club. Because as miserable as he was, Kuroko was important to the team. To Akashi.

Kuroko stayed, and Akashi won that bet.

Then Kuroko disappeared, and Akashi realized he may have underestimated him... again.

They met at the Winter Cup, and Akashi reevaluated his previous assumptions. Kuroko was always a gamble, but this raised the stakes considerably. The Generation of Miracles and the Phantom Sixth Man. And then, the Emperor versus the Phantom.

Perhaps, Akashi thought as they filed onto the court, this was meant to be. Maybe ever since he first noticed Kuroko in that gym, he was not there and then he was, Akashi had been catapulting toward this moment.

They took their positions on either side of the half-court line. The clock set to ten minutes.

Akashi met his cool blue eyes.

Kuroko Tetsuya.

His final gamble.


	5. Trade One Ridiculous for Another

**Trade One Ridiculous for Another**

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous."

Kuroko raised a single eyebrow as he regarded Kagami's apparent frustration. While they spoke to one another, people bustled around them in a rush to wherever they were going. A few muttered curses about taking up the sidewalk in their direction.

"Kagami-kun, we should go, or we will be late," Kuroko reminded him.

"I know that," Kagami snapped. "But I lose you in this crowd every time I look away. Your low presence is bad enough, but you're short, too."

Kuroko never showed much emotion in the first place, but the slight tilt of his head expressed his lack of amusement. "You're tall. I can keep up fine," Kuroko insisted.

If they lingered on the street much longer, either a stressed businessman would murder them to step over their bodies, or Riko would take care of the job herself if they dared be late to practice. Either way, their lives were at stake if they could not navigate these busy Tokyo streets in efficient time.

Kagami wanted to blame Riko since she was the one who arranged this joint practice with Nekoma's basketball team, but he knew that he was partly at fault as well. He played through another pair of shoes, and he desperately needed a new pair before the practice. Luckily, Momoi gave him the name of the store where Aomine bought his.

He had the shoes now, but if he didn't keep losing Kuroko in the crowd, they really were going to be late to the practice.

"Oh, come on," Kagami finally sighed in exasperation.

He took hold of Kuroko's wrist and practically dragged him through the streets. As they half-jogged, Kagami justified the action in his mind.

It was rush hour. Kuroko could disappear in a crowd of three. Riko would kill them otherwise.

Nevertheless, his cheeks still burned as he tugged Kuroko along. He did not even slow down until he heard Kuroko's muttered, "That hurts."

Kagami supposed the position wasn't entirely comfortable, and out of concern for Kuroko's wrist, Kagami slid his hand down until their fingers intertwined. Now Kagami's cheeks burned even brighter, and he had the distinct impression that people watched them and whispered things behind raised hands.

When they finally reached Nekoma's gym – seven minutes early in fact – Kuroko pulled away from Kagami's grip and rubbed his wrist.

"Who is the ridiculous one," Kuroko scoffed quietly.


	6. Kuroko Is Kise Intolerant

**Kuroko Is Kise Intolerant**

"I'm sorry I'm late!" Kise exclaimed as he slid into the booth across from Kuroko. The scents of salt and grease nearly overwhelmed him, and he struggled to squeeze through the crowd, but Kuroko wanted to meet at Maji Burger, so Kise came to Maji Burger.

Kuroko unlatched his lips from his straw to say, "I know you are busy, Kise-kun. Thank you for coming."

Naturally, those deadpan words melted Kise's heart, and he muffled his own squeals. Or he tried. The sparkles in his eyes gave him away.

"How are you?" Kuroko asked.

The question seemed strange between two people who met in middle school, but many months had passed since they last parted ways at graduation. Kuroko attended a college in Tokyo, but Kise chose a university in Chiba. When Kise learned he had a photo shoot in Tokyo that weekend, he jumped at the chance to meet with Kuroko, and he nearly passed out when Kuroko agreed.

"I'm great now! Tell me about you, Kurokochii!" Kise urged.

"Don't you want to get lunch first?" Kuroko suggested.

Kise glanced back at the counter only to find a swarm of people blocking his view. When the lunch rush hit Maji Burger, any trailing customer might as well camp out for the long wait ahead of him. Kise shuddered at the thought of wasting his precious time with Kuroko, and he ignored the way his stomach grumbled in protest of his own thoughts.

"I'd rather stay here with you," Kise decided.

"Won't you be hungry?" inquired Kuroko, and Kise's heart nearly stuttered to a stop. His Kuroko cared so much.

"I had a granola bar earlier," Kise dismissed, waving his hand in the air.

Kuroko's eyebrows furrowed together, and his features shifted just the slightest bit from emotionless to annoyance. "That is not enough. Here, do you want a drink of mine?"

Kuroko held out his vanilla milkshake, and Kise nearly melted into a pool of his own excitement. One, Kuroko never offered his milkshakes to anyone. Even Aomine could only steal a sip when the other was not looking. Two, if Kise dared to drink from the straw that Kuroko used mere seconds ago, that would be as good as, or perhaps the definition of, _an indirect kiss._

Just the thought rendered Kise paralyzed.

"Kise-kun should decide before my arm gets tired," Kuroko hinted. "The ice cream might hold you over for a little bit at least."

Clearly, Kise could not shirk such kindness, but something other than the golden idea of an indirect kiss with Kuroko made him hesitate. The others always assumed Kise held back from ice cream and milkshakes because he cared for his figure and complexion due to his job. However, something else made him stay away... Nevertheless, accepting Kuroko's kindness came first. Kise would deal with the consequences later.

Kise accepted the cup with trembling fingers, and Kuroko raised one eyebrow to signal his waning patience. Kise's lips wrapped around the straw, and though the plastic was not extraordinary in the slightest, Kise felt his heart soar because his mouth embraced what Kuroko's once did. Then the creamy sweetness of the milkshake hit his mouth, and Kise thought he might be okay after all. Then he took a second drink, and he realized just how wrong he was.

Half an hour later, Kise was curled on a bench at a park a short walk away from Maji Burger. He clutched his stomach and tried to muffle the moans that the pain brought upon him.

Still, as much pain as Kise currently endured, at least Kuroko let him lay his head in his lap. That was a tiny piece of heaven in itself.

"Kise-kun, you are an idiot," Kuroko sighed, patting his silky blond hair even as he shook his head in exasperation. "Why did you not say you were lactose intolerant?"


	7. Airports

**Airports**

Kuroko never cried at airports.

He always accompanied Akashi to print his boarding ticket, check in his baggage, and then wait until thirty minutes before his flight time. They chatted and made last minute checks. If they arrived particularly early, which they often did, they shared coffee at the shop inside the terminal.

Kuroko promised Akashi that he would have a message waiting for him when he landed, and Akashi assured him that he would reply promptly.

Akashi noticed how this simple declaration made Kuroko relax almost imperceptibly, and he realized that this offered him comfort. When Akashi needed to leave on business trips, Kuroko never complained, and he kept dry, understanding eyes. Nevertheless, perhaps Kuroko missed him as much as Akashi always missed him.

When they sipped their coffee, the time passed to quickly. Akashi rose, and Kuroko quietly discarded their drinks. They took the stairs to the second floor.

Their goodbyes could wait no longer once they reached security.

Akashi opened his arms, and Kuroko immediately embraced him. Akashi always chose the earliest flights, so few people mulled in the hallway with them. Even if they had, the two would have paid them no attention.

Akashi felt Kuroko relax against him, and he wanted nothing more than to go back with the smaller boy rather than onward toward his responsibilities. His lithe form molded against Akashi's own with perfection and familiarity. They closed their eyes and tried to imagine they were not parting.

But they did not have a choice.

"I will be home next Friday," Akashi whispered against his hair and then placed a gentle kiss there to seal the promise.

"I will pick you up," Kuroko murmured.

Even when they pulled apart, Kuroko did not tear up, but Akashi never worried. He knew Kuroko loved him.

He would be there when Akashi returned.

…

Kuroko walked back down the stairs, and he slipped into the bathroom. No one noticed him as he took the sink farthest from the door, for his presence still barely registered on the average person's radar.

He just barely made it this time.

He pulled a paper towel and wiped at his eyes. The cloth came away damp, and he splashed water in his face before wiping his cheeks dry again.

Kuroko always cried at airports.


	8. Who's the Hero Here Anyway

**Who's the Hero Here**

Kagami learned a long time ago to keep his mouth shut and to breathe shallowly. When the fire snaked up the timbers of a two-story building and flourished across carpet and furniture, suffocation from the smoke killed a hell of a lot faster than flames burning his skin. As an experienced firefighter, considered the best at his station, he grasped the basics on his first day.

However, that did not stop him from gasping, "What the hell are you doing here?!" and inhaling a lungful of smoke and ash.

He succumbed to a coughing fit, but when Kagami blinked his watery eyes, the image in front of him did not disappear. The slight, blue-haired man in front of him only tilted his head in concern and clutched the child in his arms tighter to his chest.

"Are you all right?" he asked as if the hue of flames did not illuminate their faces. As if fire did not render the kindergarten classroom around them a withered husk of its former self. As if plastic numbers and letters on the wall did not crinkle and warp in the heat.

"Why the hell would you ask that? You need to get out of here!" Kagami roared over the loud cracks of ceiling supports breaking.

The man nodded, and Kagami noticed that he had the foresight to raise the little boy's shirt over his nose and mouth to prevent harmful inhalation. The small gesture gave Kagami the strength he needed, and he lifted both the man and child over his shoulder, careful not to crush the kindergartener between them. He heard a small grunt and felt a wiggle of protest, but as soon as Kagami felt certain they would not fall, he broke into a run out of the building. He ducked beneath falling debris, some still blazing with crimson flames, and his animal-like instincts served him well.

When they finally broke from the burning school, a cool blast of air welcomed them. The afternoon sky and soothing spring breeze felt strange after the horror setting inside the building, and Kagami once again felt amazed at how quickly tragedy took hold and then broke away.

The moment of peace and relief ended almost immediately when people swarmed upon them. Shouts of worry mingled with teary gratitude and amazed declarations. When Kagami carefully put the man and child down, two teachers carefully verified the little boy's health and then raised their shining eyes to thank him. Kagami shook his head and started to redirect their gratitude to the young man who really saved the child, but he choked when he realized he had disappeared entirely.

The teachers walked the kindergartener to the ambulance for a check-up, and Kagami still searched for the blue-haired man even when his partner put his hand on his shoulder.

"Great job in there," Himuro Tatsuya said. "You're crazy to go back just to check for stragglers, but you saved the day. That's why you're the best."

"It wasn't me. Some other guy found the kid and kept him from inhaling a bunch of smoke," Kagami protested, still scanning the crowd of firefighters, teachers, students, parents, and police officers.

Himuro tilted his head in confusion and concern. "Maybe you inhaled a bit too much. You carried the kid out, Taiga."

"No, the guy carried the kid out, and I carried him out," Kagami corrected.

"Hmm. Why don't you go sit down and get a drink of water? The rest of the team are almost done with the cleanup, but I ought to go see if they need help," Himuro said.

His friend and partner patted him one last time on the shoulder before making his way to the crowd of firefighters dousing the last of the flames with their water hoses. Though Kagami knew he had not hallucinated the impossibly small man, he decided to take Himuro's advice and get some water. He hid out in the shadow of one of their fire trucks and took a long swig from a water bottle.

"Thank you for saving Inaho and me."

Kagami spewed an impressive spray of water all over the side of the truck, and when he turned around to face a pair of cool blue eyes, he marveled at how his pale expression did not even shift. Water still dripping from his mouth, Kagami quickly wiped his chin and straightened his posture.

"Now you show up," he grunted. "You were the one who really saved the kid. Why didn't you take the credit?"

The man glanced at where a handful of teachers herded and checked the children who had not yet been picked up by their parents. "I am often overlooked. I do not mind," he said.

"That's stupid. You're stupid. Why were you still in the school when the alarm sounded an hour ago?" Kagami demanded.

"I evacuated with my class, but I remembered that Inaho had gone to the bathroom only just before the alarm. Most children would have found their way out anyway, but he has a terrible fear of loud noises, and the alarm would have scared him. So I left my class with another teacher, and I went back for him," he explained.

Kagami's jaw hung in amazement, and only after a moment of pure shock did he remember to shut his mouth. His friends called him, a trained firefighter, a hero for running back in buildings on the verge of collapse, but this guy was half his size and a school teacher, and he did the same thing.

"What's your name?" Kagami asked.

"Kuroko Tetsuya," he supplied. "And yours?"

"Kagami Taiga."

"Thank you again, Kagami-kun. Though you shocked me when you picked us up, I am not sure we would have made it without your bravery." Kuroko bowed, and when he straightened, he turned and disappeared in the throes of people.

Kagami called out to stop him, but his eyes lost sight of the teacher almost immediately. Suddenly, the flash of cameras blinded him, and a herd of journalists cornered him. They shouted questions and declarations of his bravery, but Kagami replied to none of them.

He wanted to tell them that the true hero was somewhere lost in the crowd.


	9. Take My Breath Away

**Take my Breath Away**

"It was murder but not by the husband."

Aomine often received rudely worded suggestions on how to do his job, but such critics rarely stated them so bluntly. And to his face, too. Aomine ought to punch the short baby-faced man into next week, but he was in uniform, and his chief might look down on that.

Instead he settled with snapping, "Look, kid, get lost. This apartment has been marked as a crime scene, and we don't need your amateur detective shit."

"My apartment is next door," the young man clarified, pointing to the door beside the one that Aomine currently guarded. "And I only wanted to make sure that no one was wrongly charged."

Aomine narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the man. He was short and a petite in a way that should embarrass him, but he stood with proper posture and confidence. His hair and eyes were the same shade of pale blue, as cool and calm as his expression.

He did not seem like a murderer or a troublemaker, but Aomine could not really think of any other options. Still, if he was trying to cover up murdering the middle-aged housewife himself, he was going about it in a rather strange way. Nevertheless, Aomine did not want to end up looking like an idiot if he did turn out to be a suspect, so he decided to try a question this time rather than a blatant declaration to leave.

"What makes you think the murderer was someone else?" Aomine grunted.

"Because a pillow did not suffocate Mrs. Pangburn as the police have suggested," he replied.

"What?" Aomine hissed. "You're an idiot. Her body is an open-and-shut case of suffocation, and she had a life insurance policy. Her husband had the greatest motive and opportunity."

Technically, Aomine should not be revealing so much of the case to a mere civilian, but once someone ignited his anger, he found it hard to control himself. His hot-headed nature had gotten him in trouble on the force more than once.

"I was the one who found Mrs. Pangburn when I came over the next morning to ask to borrow a coffee filter. She did suffocate. The blue color around her lips indicated that, but if you order an autopsy, you will find that she suffocated chemically," he explained.

"How the hell do you suffocate chemically?" Aomine scoffed.

The first emotion to cross the man's face was the slightest hint of annoyance. "Carbon monoxide prevents the hemoglobin in your blood from attaching to oxygen molecules to carry them throughout your system. Even though you are still breathing, you die from lack of oxygen. Chemical suffocation."

Aomine never thought much about his science classes back in school, but as he listened to the lecture, he remembered the initial weird feeling he got when he entered the crime scene. The dead woman lay in her bed too peacefully for a typical smothering, and the husband had stared off in a daze when they arrested him for murder.

He thought it strange that the daughter had not heard the muffled sounds of asphyxiation even though her bedroom was next door, too.

"Carbon monoxide often permeates a room when a heater has a leak, deliberately made or not. Also, Mr. Pangburn often returned as late as four in the morning on Saturday nights," the man added. "Now I best go home."

He unlocked his apartment and disappeared inside.

Aomine pulled out his phone and called for an autopsy.

…

Sure enough, Mrs. Pangburn's blood overflowed with the typical traces of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Upon Aomine's guidance, the police force also found that the heater in the Pangburns' bedroom leaked from a very deliberate crack. When they investigated further, they found that the daughter turned on the heater that night, allowed the room to fill with the gas until it successfully doused Mrs. Pangburn, and then switched the heater off. This all took place before Mr. Pangburn returned home from his card games that night, so only the wife suffered the effects.

The daughter was charged with murder, and the husband walked free.

…

Aomine knocked three times before he answered the door.

"Hello, please come in."

The blue-eyed man stepped back, and Aomine entered the small apartment.

"I came here to thank you. Your advice really turned the case around… Ah, I never got your name," Aomine realized.

"Kuroko Tetsuya," he supplied.

"Well, thanks, Tetsu. I really owe you one. The force will give you an award for assistance in the investigation," Aomine offered.

"That is very kind of you, but I will decline. I am only glad that the innocent remained unharmed."

Aomine rubbed the back of his head and glanced away. "Geez, you hero types are annoying. How the hell did you know that about the carbon whatever anyway?"

"Carbon monoxide. I am a chemistry teacher, so it is my job to be well-learned in the elements and compounds," he explained.

"Chemistry teacher? With the brain you have and your eye for detail, you should be on the force. Would you consider switching?" Aomine probed.

Kuroko raised his eyebrows. "I am quite content with my current career."

Aomine tried not to feel disappointed and failed.

"However, if you ever have a question with a case and feel that chemistry is the answer, you are welcome to knock on my door," Kuroko offered.

Aomine's eyes lit up, and a smirk sharpened his lips. "Careful, I might take you up on that."

…

Kuroko helped on so many cases from that day on that his police chief started to call him Aomine's unofficial partner. They both liked the term.


	10. Key to My Heart

**Key to My Heart**

"Why are you here?"

"I cannot tell if you are mocking me or if you are severely mentally deficient."

Kuroko's expression did not change as he regarded the prisoner in his dungeon, but a person who knew him well might have detected some annoyance in his next words. "I know who you are, and I know you would not be here if you did not want to be," he accused.

Akashi Seijuro appeared every bit the powerful lord that he was as he sat primly on the one chair available in the dungeon cell. The castle offered little more than stone floors and crosshatched metal bars for the average prisoner, but nobles had the privilege of that one piece of furniture. He studied Kuroko as closely as Kuroko studied him.

"You are very small to be a guard," he observed.

Kuroko tensed. He joined the king's guard with his friend, Kagami, and despite his determination to improve, he was fully aware that he lacked physically. Such failure landed him the job as the lone guard in a secure prison rather than a higher-paying position like patrol.

"You are not answering my initial question," Kuroko returned.

"I suppose I am here because I was arrested for treason," Akashi mused, a smile on his lips.

Realizing that this conversation likely lead nowhere, Kuroko turned and resumed his proper position. The job was boring, and the hours were long, but if he stood in front of the prison until dawn, he could go home.

Kuroko tried to convince himself that he no longer cared why Lord Akashi Seijuro chose now of all times to let himself be captured. He let his mind wander to other subjects, and he passed the time as he often did.

When the clock tower struck twelve tolls, Kuroko felt a hand creep around his waist. Before he could react, another hand clasped around his mouth, and the first hand held him firmly against the iron bars. He struggled and attempted to shout, but the strong hold never relinquished.

A silky voice whispered into his ear, "If you would be so kind, alert me to the location of your keys, so I do not have to molest you as well as rob you."

The fingers left his mouth, and Kuroko hissed, "What are you planning? Who else is involved?

"Ah, well, I did try to be nice," Akashi sighed as he returned his hand to Kuroko's mouth. The other hand roamed across Kuroko's chest and explored every plane and crevice. Kuroko squirmed and whimpered, but nothing hindered Akashi's search.

Eventually, those deft fingers pulled away with the damning jingle of keys.

"Now I am afraid I am on a tight schedule, so this is goodbye," Akashi whispered.

Kuroko felt a pinch on his neck, and darkness clouded his vision.


	11. It Could Only Be You

**It Could Only Be You**

Akashi began his day as he always did. He woke up especially early and jogged a mile. Once he showered, he dressed for school, already mentally checking the assignments he completed last night. He ate a healthy breakfast made by his servants, but he reviewed the regimen he created for today's basketball practice as he chewed.

He was in his third year of middle school, but he still expected nothing but perfection from himself.

As his chauffer drove him a block away from Teikou, he studied his French vocabulary book. He already mastered English, but he planned to learn all the languages associated with the United Nations. He memorized all the prepositions by the time the limo pulled to a stop.

Akashi thanked his driver, more for agreeing to his wishes to park a distance away from the school than the actual transportation. While his behavior and expertise instantly gave him away as an Akashi, he still did not want any additional evidence condemning him before he made his own impression.

The limo drove away, and Akashi walked the remaining block to school with thoughts of his upcoming assignments in mind.

"Akashi-kun."

Akashi never jumped, but he did show a small sign of surprise when a blue-eyed boy suddenly appeared next to him. However, when Akashi recognized the pale skin and blue hair, he thought that his new companion had probably been there all along.

"Hello…" Akashi suddenly paused as his sharp eyes took in the rest of the details. "Kuroko?"

This boy had to be Kuroko, for no one else kept such an expressionless face or invisible persona, but Akashi knew Kuroko as a round-faced boy slightly shorter than himself. This person stood just a few inches taller, and subtle changes in his body made him look far more mature.

"Yes, I am Kuroko Tetsuya, but not the one you know. If you do not mind, please accompany me," Kuroko said.

Akashi stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and he regarded the other person with suspicion. He certainly seemed to be Kuroko, perhaps a version of him in a few years, but Akashi also noticed stress lines around his eyes and mouth. He also had a long, thin scar on his collarbone.

"I am afraid I will need a better explanation than that," Akashi chided.

Kuroko huffed something like a laugh, and Akashi did not understand the affection in his expression. "I am aware," he said. "I hoped to explain everything in a private place, but I will tell you this much to convince you that it is safe to go with me. I am Kuroko Tetsuya from four years from now, and I have traveled to this time because I need your help."

"You believe such a bold statement makes me want to go with you?" Akashi scoffed.

"Akashi-kun, I know you are intelligent, and you are a good judge of character. You know who I am. Look at me and make your own assessment," Kuroko advised.

Akashi narrowed his eyes, but he let his gaze wash over the boy beside him, catching on the details that spoke the most. Now that Akashi let himself imagine it, this was how he imagined the Kuroko he knew to be in four years. He wore typical jeans, sneakers, and a collared shirt. The only abnormalities were the impossibility around the whole situation and the barely visible scar.

"Where should we go to discuss this further?" Akashi inquired.

Kuroko smiled, a small and timid thing. "I know a place," he said.

Somehow, Akashi did not imagine Maji Burger as the idea location for secretive conversations, but Kuroko chose a booth in the back, and he looked thrilled to sip on a vanilla milkshake. Akashi ignored his tea for the time being.

"If you are Kuroko from a future time, how did you get that scar?" Akashi asked. He realized that this was not the highest priority, but he always made a point to keep a close eye on those under his command, and he had a soft spot for Kuroko. It was strange to feel protective over someone technically older than him, but his innocent expression and clear eyes hardly spoke of age.

Kuroko pulled the straw from his mouth, and he averted his eyes. "That is unimportant. Are you not more curious of how I came to be here?"

Akashi did not miss the way Kuroko changed the subject, but he decided to indulge him for now. He would find out soon enough.

"I assume time travel is possible in your time?" Akashi guessed.

Kuroko nodded. "Not for the public. It is a very difficult and very expensive process. I am only the second successful time traveler, and this is the third successful trial."

"Your mission must be important for someone to invest so much in you. Why would they choose you if you are only just out of high school?" Akashi asked.

"Yes, yes, it is," Kuroko whispered, and he offered a sad smile. His shoulders slumped forward, and perhaps for the first time in his young life, Akashi felt apprehensive for what his companion would say next.

"Akashi-kun, the world is a darker place in four years. A dictator rose up and took over Japan. He used unheard of technology to force other countries into submission, and an era of fear and oppression began. I am a part of a special group formed to stop this dictator, and I have been sent here because we believe you can help. You are a master of strategy, and your insight could allow us to outsmart him."

Akashi waited for Kuroko to finish, and he did not even allow himself to entertain some fantasy of Kuroko breaking into a smile and wiping off makeup because this was all a grand prank from the first string. He could tell from Kuroko's expression – too serious, a little broken – that he told the truth. Akashi also thought that he understood something else.

Akashi took a long sip of his tea before he worked up the courage to say, "I assume this dictator was the first successful time traveler."

"Yes," Kuroko confirmed. "He paid to have the machine developed, and then he used it to travel six months in the past. Since he knew the events of that time, he manipulated them until he owned every portion of Japanese politics and economics. He repeated this endeavor to take control of the other countries he considered worth possessing."

"How did you come by the machine then?"

Kuroko touched his scar, and Akashi feared that he knew where this was going.

"The reason I joined the resistance was because I knew the dictator before he let power corrupt him. We were close friends, more than that really. Even clouded by his own greed and desire, he still wanted me at his side. I…" Kuroko struggled to form his next words, but he forced himself to finish. "I knew his true nature, so I could not stand what he had let himself become. I vowed to do anything to fix this.

"I let him believe I agreed with his methods, and I lived with him and acted every part the devoted lover. I used that chance to steal the time machine and escape."

Kuroko looked up at Akashi with shining eyes, and the clear desperation in those blue depths made Akashi tense. "I betrayed him, and that is unforgivable, but I am using this chance to fix things. I want to help him find peace in himself, and I can only do that if I defeat him first."

"It's me, isn't it?" Akashi whispered.

Kuroko startled, and his lips parted in shock. "What?"

"Do not patronize me," Akashi hissed. "Why else would you contact a third year in middle school for strategy to defeat a psychotic dictator? Only the dictator himself would know how his mind works, and that's why you wanted me to assist you in defeating myself."

"Akashi-kun…"

"I gave you that scar. How can you speak to me now? How can you look at me like you love me when I… grow up to do… _that?_ " Akashi snarled though he directed the anger to himself.

Kuroko rubbed at the scar on his collarbone, and he whispered, "On the night that I stole the time machine, you found me. Of course, as soon as you saw me with the machine, you knew everything, and you threw a knife in my direction. I dodged, and the blade only skimmed me as you can see."

Akashi clenched his fists, and he squeezed his eyes shut. He imagined the middle school Kuroko likely in class at this very moment. Akashi chose him and believed in him, and he would grow up to someday destroy him?

A warm hand suddenly enveloped Akashi's fists, and nimble fingers pried their way into the spaces between his. When Akashi looked up, Kuroko smiled at him.

"Akashi-kun, you knew that I could dodge that knife. I know your capabilities, and if you had wanted to, you would have killed me on that night, but you let me go instead. You still showed compassion even then, and that's how I know that we can still save you," Kuroko promised.

"It would be more efficient to kill me now. You could prevent everything," Akashi said.

Kuroko tilted his head in a thoroughly unamused expression. "That is not an option," he said. "Will you come to my time with me and help me defeat Akashi-kun?"

"No."

Kuroko froze, and he pulled his hand from Akashi's grip. Akashi watched as the blue-eyed boy internally panicked at the thought of wasting his one chance.

"But I will tell you how to defeat me yourself."

Akashi motioned for Kuroko to lean forward, and when he did, Akashi whispered into his ear. Kuroko's eyes widened.


	12. And It Was Awkward for Everyone

**And It Was Awkward for Everyone**

When Akashi heard the key enter the doorknob, he registered three things very quickly. One, this was not his apartment. Two, the owner of the apartment was not supposed to return home until a week from now. Three, Akashi was currently perched in the living room with a long rifle pointed out the window.

A moment later, the door opened, and a short blue-haired individual entered his own living room. Akashi observed him from underneath the sofa, for he managed to hide himself even while his gun still posed incriminatingly by the window. His mind raced through his options, and he found himself caught between killing the boy now and posing an accident for him later.

The man paused, and Akashi could practically feel his blue eyes settling on the rifle. If he decided to call the police, Akashi would have no choice but to kill him on the spot. He hated when others forced his hand, but Akashi knew how to react when the occasion arose.

Instead, however, a calm voice said, "Whoever you are who is invading my apartment, you may come out now. I will prepare enough tea for both of us."

The young man retreated to where Akashi knew the kitchen to be, and sure enough, he soon heard the telltale signs of water boiling and tea bags opening. When the blue-eyed boy turned around, Akashi appeared in front of him. He did not even flinch.

"I am Kuroko Tetsuya. It is a pleasure to meet you. If you do not mind, please fetch the sugar bowl. It's beside the fridge," he instructed.

Akashi expected that his face revealed nothing as it never did, but inwardly, he reeled with shock at this boy's audacity. He was a trained assassin who could kill him in less than a second with any of the objects in this kitchen, yet this Kuroko ordered him around as if he was just an ordinary dinner guest. Once he gave his directions, he turned his attention back to the stove. He placed a tea bag in each of the two waiting cups and poured the boiling water in each one.

After a moment, Akashi found the porcelain sugar bowl and carried it to Kuroko.

"You are not supposed to be here. You return a week from now on a Saturday," Akashi said.

Kuroko fixated a plate on top of each cup to allow the tea to steep before he accepted the sugar bowl from Akashi. "My tour was cut short. I returned home early," he answered simply.

"You were on a book tour, correct? What event would cause the sudden cancel?" When Akashi researched the apartment and its optimum angle for his job, he learned plenty about the young author and his first novel he just released. If Akashi remembered correctly, the plot revolved around basketball and teamwork or some similar theme.

Kuroko removed the plates from the cups and began stirring in sugar in one. "Do you take sweetener?" he inquired.

Akashi shook his head.

"My sales did not reach a magnitude worthy of a continued tour, so my publisher decided to cut losses early," Kuroko explained with the same tone he used to speak of the tea. Only Akashi's heightened sense of detail for human behavior allowed him to notice the slight downturn of his lips and slump of his shoulders. Clearly, the blow to his career hurt him deeply.

Kuroko carried the two cups to the living room, and once he sat down on the chair, he gestured for Akashi to sit on the sofa across from him. Akashi eyed him closely as he took the tea and sat down.

He did not take a drink until Kuroko sipped from his own. Well, the other did not plan to poison him.

"I must request that you remove that obscene object from my home."

It took Akashi an embarrassing moment to realize that Kuroko meant his rifle. This whole situation did not seem quite fair as Kuroko should have been the one surprised and flustered. His miscalculation coupled with this indignity grated at Akashi's nerves.

"Also, if you must use my window in particular, I will not be home from noon to five tomorrow. I refuse to be present, and I will deny any knowledge," Kuroko warned.

Akashi lifted a single skeptical eyebrow, but Kuroko only sipped his tea.

…

Akashi removed his gun that evening, but he returned the weapon to its place the next day at half past noon. He surveyed the area long beforehand, but no police officers occupied the hidden crooks and crannies, and no cameras had been added to the residence.

The drug cartel leader did not make his daily visit to the casino across the street until four, so Akashi bided his time. He found a copy of Kuroko's novel in his study, and he read the entire volume in two hours.

At four he finished his business.

The gun and evidence disappeared by fifteen after.

Kuroko returned to his apartment at half past five.

At six Akashi knocked on the door.

…

"Your publishers are fools. Your novel depicts a timeless theme of how power and arrogance eventually lead to corruption and then failure while keeping a light-hearted tone that appeals to a mainstream audience. Given time to develop a following, it will become a great success."

"While I appreciate your compliment, my publishers disagree."

Kuroko stirred the soup one last time before he turned off the stove. He ladled the meal into two different bowls and brought them to the table where Akashi already sat. Kuroko took the place across from him.

After expressing their thanks for the meal, they each took a spoon and tentatively tasted the hot liquid.

"I could always take care of your publishers," Akashi offered.

"That is unnecessary," Kuroko assured him. "I believe in my book, and I am less interested in financial success than the pleasure of sharing my story with others. I am surprised the subject material appeals to you."

"I do not normally read for pleasure," Akashi admitted.

"Then I imagine a story about a basketball player who sets out to prove to his old teammates that teamwork and trust are the best form of basketball is a bit frivolous for you."

"Do not sell yourself short. There is more to your book than that," Akashi refuted.

"Perhaps," Kuroko muttered as he sought out a piece of potato with his spoon. "If you are not busy tomorrow, I plan to attempt making scones."

"You do not find my company unpleasant?" Akashi questioned. Kuroko knew of his profession after all.

"Quite the contrary," Kuroko said. "I am a writer, and I find your presence good inspiration."


	13. Someone to Love

**Someone to Love**

The Akashi family did not mistakes.

His father told him that over and over again which only confirmed to Akashi Seijuro that the woman his father chose to marry could never be a true Akashi. His mother would never have shamed the family with an unplanned pregnancy, especially not so late in age. His father practically hissed the news to Akashi when he informed him of the unexpected addition, and he half-expected him to leave the woman and the child on the streets.

Of course, that would have led to an entirely different set of troubles. Scandals, a bastard's claim to the company. So the elder Akashi paid for the proper care of his wife and unborn child. Akashi's stepbrother to be.

…

Akashi initially reacted with the emotions his father expected. Disgust at the impertinence, exasperation at the inconvenience.

"You never have to see the child, and he will have no stake in the company. The entire inheritance goes to you," his father promised him behind closed doors.

"Yes, Father."

Only later, as Akashi ran the elliptical in his workout room, did he truly think of what a younger sibling would mean. Loneliness was a foreign concept to one such as him. People only annoyed him, for they never thought on his level, and they worried only about trivial matters. Still, sometimes Akashi thought a sounding board might be nice. Someone with whom he could discuss important matters.

Of course Akashi would be fifteen when the child was born, and such an age difference would render that idea impossible. He put the thought out of his mind and focused instead on the training regimen he planned for the basketball team tomorrow.

…

Whenever Akashi saw Yoko, an occasion that did not occur often, she always looked very pregnant and very miserable. She only complained about the brat in her stomach and the swelling in her feet.

Akashi began to wonder. If his father and he despised the child, and if Yoko hated him just as much, then who exactly would love the newborn baby?

…

The question remained with Akashi until the day the baby was brought into the world. He did not mull over the issue constantly, but the thought stayed in the back of his mind.

The answer came to him on January 31. When Yoko went into labor, their driver took her to the hospital. Akashi had a basketball game. His father had a business meeting. Yoko asked the nurses to take the baby to the nursery, so she could sleep.

No one.

No one would love the baby if Akashi didn't.

After the basketball game, he visited the hospital. Yoko still slept, but Akashi did not come for her anyway. He asked a nurse to point out Yoko's baby, and Akashi spent the next hour staring at the tiny human through the viewing glass. Other babies wiggled and slept all around him, yet Akashi thought the child with Akashi on his wrist was the most beautiful and intelligent of them all. While the latter was purely guesswork, Akashi was confident.

He asked the nurse if he could hold the baby. She started to inform him that this was against the rules, but Akashi flashed his ID, and he held his brother in his arms a moment later.

"There is no first name on his bracelet," Akashi noticed.

"Yes, the mother has not named him yet, and she is sleeping at the moment," the nurse explained. She could not quite hide her contempt for such indifference toward the innocent child.

"His name is Tetsuya. You may write it on the paperwork."

"Ah, sir, only the mother or father has authority to-"

"This is a special case. Please fetch the paperwork, and I will sign myself."

As soon as the nurse fluttered off in search of the birth certificate, Akashi gave his full attention to the newborn in his arms. He was a bit red and wrinkly, but he had a wisp of pale blue hair on his head, and Akashi found him charming. He marveled at the size of his brother. Even by newborn standards, he was petite.

Tetsuya.

His brother.

The baby shifted in his arms, and an irrational spike of panic drilled through Akashi's heart. Then the child blinked open his eyes, and Akashi met the purest blue orbs he had ever seen.

 _I will love him_ , Akashi decided. _Even if it is only me, I am enough._

…

When they brought Tetsuya home (neither parent questioned Akashi's name), events proceeded just as Akashi expected. His father barely looked at his second son, and Yoko only gave half-hearted attempts to motherhood. She occasionally picked up the baby or rocked him, but as soon as he started to cry, she shoved him to the nearest nanny.

Akashi decided Tetsuya was his responsibility, and once he drew that line, he devoted nearly every moment to his brother.

When the baby cried in his crib at night, Akashi trekked from his own bedroom to the nursery. He collected him into his arms, and then he rocked him in the recliner until he fell back asleep. Sometimes Akashi told stories that he remembered from his own childhood, ones that his true mother whispered to him in the darkness of night.

Akashi spoke to Tetsuya often, but he never used what most deemed a 'baby voice.' He employed his normal expansive vocabulary, and he explained concepts as they were rather than a dumbed down metaphor.

Tetsuya was an Akashi. He was smart enough to handle it.

…

Akashi stayed at the top of his class, and his basketball team won every game. He never gave his father a reason to question his devotion.

However, he also stayed at Tetsuya's side anytime he was home. He researched the growth and development of young children, and he used the best techniques to teach him to roll over, to crawl, to walk. Tetsuya performed exceptionally.

What began as a decision to love his brother became the easiest, most natural thing in the world.

…

And Tetsuya loved Akashi just as much. When he cried, he wanted Akashi. He spurned the attention of his mother and father in favor of his brother. He held out his chubby hands, and Akashi lifted him every time.

Sometimes this became an issue. Tetsuya grappled for his brother's attention. He tugged on his pants and whined when Akashi needed to attend to something else.

Akashi did not often scold his brother, but he could not let his father see the way Tetsuya clung to him. If he suspected too much affection between them, he might take action to stunt that. After all, Akashi was of a higher breed, and he would inherit the company. Tetsuya would become a shadow that flickered in and out of existence as if he was never there in the first place.

…

"Seiji, can we read something?"

Akashi looked up from his textbook to glance at his two-year-old brother. "Perhaps later, but I am doing homework right now," he said.

Tetsuya pouted, his chubby bottom lip poking out. Still far too petite for his age, his khaki trousers pooled at his feet, and his baby blue sweater almost hung off one shoulder. Akashi picked out his clothing, but the online company never seemed to get the size right. He would have to contact a seamstress to correct that.

"Can I do homework?" Tetsuya asked.

Expecting this step in the usual routine, Akashi already pulled out a drawer in his desk. He retrieved a memo pad and a pencil, and he handed them to Tetsuya. The little boy eagerly took his brother's offering and sat down on the floor. He scribbled on the lined paper as Akashi finished up his history homework and his chemistry assignments for the rest of the week.

When Akashi began closing his textbooks and cleaning up his area, Tetsuya dutifully gave Akashi his pad and pencil back. Akashi replaced them in his desk, and he held out his arms.

Tetsuya practically leapt into him, and Akashi hoisted him up as he stood. "What would you like to read?" Akashi inquired.

"Something with pictures," Tetsuya requested, smiling brightly.

Akashi resisted a sigh, but he obligingly moved to the small part of his bookshelf reserved for the few manga he kept for this reason alone. Tetsuya pointed toward a copy of Death Note, and Akashi briefly wondered if he introduced his brother to adult content too early. Then he pushed the thought from his mind and carried Tetsuya to his bed. They curled together against the pillow.

Tetsuya pointed to the pictures, and he called out "L" and "Light" when the characters made an appearance. Akashi read the dialogue aloud along with commentary of the actions. They read through the volumes from the first all the way up until Akashi decided to stop. L was Tetsuya's favorite character. They could read the second half of the series later.

"More?" Tetsuya asked.

Akashi glanced at the window, now dark. "No, Tetsuya. It's time for bed."

"Can I sleep with you?" Tetsuya whined.

"No, Tetsuya, you know better than to ask. Go to your room," Akashi ordered.

The bottom lip again. Tetsuya shuffled to the doorway, and Akashi sighed. "I will tell you a story. Cheer up now."

A skip entered Tetsuya's step, and he grabbed Akashi's hand. Akashi indulged his brother and allowed himself to be tugged to the nursery unfortunately all the way across the mansion. His father intended for Akashi to never have to interact with his brother, but Akashi supposed the joke was on him.

Akashi tucked Tetsuya in his bed and told him a story from memory. He chose an old Dutch fairytale this time, and Tetsuya fell asleep before Akashi even reached the climax.

He crossed the mansion to his own bedroom, and the thought occurred to him how long the path was. He wondered if he should do something about that because he knew Tetsuya would soon be making this trip all on his own in the dark.

Even when Akashi took him to bed and read him a story, Tetsuya would trek across the mansion and crawl into Akashi's bed at about four in the morning. Long ago, Akashi started lifting his blankets as soon as he heard his door open, and soon, Tetsuya curled up against his chest. Akashi wrapped an arm around him and held him close.

…

"Tetsuya, someday, I will go away."

"Why would you go away? I don't want you to leave, Seiji."

"I will attend university, and I will be living in another place."

"No! I don't want you to go anywhere else! I'll miss you!"

"I will visit occasionally. I also plan to buy a cell phone for you. I am sure you are intelligent enough to learn to operate it."

"But I want you to stay with me."

"Don't worry, Tetsuya. I have a plan."

…

And Akashi did. He hated to leave Tetsuya in his family's home, but the situation was only temporary. He did the math, and if he took college classes during the summer, he could achieve his degree in only three years. Once he accomplished that and took over the Akashi Corporation, he would have his own apartment.

Then he would adopt Tetsuya.

Akashi planned to raise him as his own, and no person nor circumstance could separate them again.


	14. Strange Habits

**Strange Habits**

Kuroko planned to learn a lot at Teikou's summer training camp. The local college let them stay in their dorms and use their gyms, and Teikou's basketball team had an entire week to polish their skills under Akashi's guidance. Kuroko wanted to try out a few new moves with his misdirection, ideas he had mulled over but hadn't had a chance to attempt.

What Kuroko learned instead was that Akashi had some rather strange habits.

Such knowledge came from rooming with the captain for the entire week, an event that Kuroko still could not understand. Even if Nijimura had graduated, Kuroko would have expected Akashi to choose Midorima as a roommate rather than putting the shooter with Murasakibara. And placing Aomine and Kise in a room seemed like a fatal mistake. Really, Kuroko questioned all of the rooming arrangements, but he would not dare challenge Akashi's choices.

Especially when he was the one partnered with the captain himself.

Kuroko set up his bed and placed his suitcase at the foot. Akashi, somehow, already finished unpacking his clothing into the closet and currently tied up his shoes for their first practice game in one hour.

"You don't have to act so terrified. I won't make you run laps for leaving a dirty sock on the floor," Akashi said, some amusement in voice.

"I did not think you would," Kuroko said though the idea crossed his mind.

Akashi gave him a look that clearly showed his skepticism, so Kuroko turned away to transfer his clothes from the suitcase to the standard dresser. Once Akashi tied his shoes, he straightened and watched Kuroko for a moment. The shorter player did his best to ignore the stare, but he almost felt relieved when Akashi finally broke the silence.

"I will see you on Court C, Tetsuya," he said. He then left the room.

Somehow, Kuroko felt like that wasn't what Akashi meant to say.

Kuroko expected Akashi to be a strange roommate, but somehow, he never expected this.

After a long day of practice games to gauge their skills and deficiencies, Kuroko practically limped to the showers with the rest of the team. Two players almost walked into his stall, and Aomine knocked them both in the head even though they claimed Kuroko's low presence was to blame. Then Kise offered to dry him off, and Murasakibara took the pleasure of hitting him.

Even more tired than when he entered the showers, Kuroko collapsed on his bed as soon as he stumbled into his room.

He did not notice that Akashi was not in the room nor that he had not been in the showers.

He did not notice much of anything until around one in the morning.

Kuroko stirred beneath the thin blanket. He slowly opened his eyes, and even though he only saw his wall, he became aware of a scratching noise. He closed his eyes and tried to return to sleep, but the attempt proved futile.

He sat up and turned only to find Akashi at the college-issued desk. A lamp cast a pool of light over the notebook into which Akashi scribbled. An open laptop displayed multiple graphs from the left of the space.

"Akashi-kun?" Kuroko muttered, rubbing at his eyes.

Akashi's hand stilled. "I apologize for waking you, Tetsuya. I will attempt to be quieter."

"What are you doing at this hour? Efficient rest is important during training camps," Kuroko reminded him.

"Yes, but I must adjust the individual regimens after today's performance," Akashi explained.

Kuroko raised an eyebrow. "Can you not do that tomorrow?"

"I have other responsibilities tomorrow. Go to sleep, Tetsuya. I will follow shortly."

Since one could not really argue with Akashi, Kuroko did. He had no idea when Akashi finally went to bed, and he still woke up before Kuroko the next day.

Kuroko would never consider anything about Akashi to be messy, but there was the thing with the drinks.

Naturally, Akashi always kept a water bottle at his desk for hydration. But he also placed a cup of green tea on his bedside table. Kuroko later noticed a can of coffee in his windowsill as well.

After he learned of Akashi's late night work sessions, Kuroko supposed he needed the caffeine.

Nevertheless, the revelation was... Unexpected, to say the least.

And then there was the thing with the books. Once again, Kuroko would never accuse Akashi of disorganization, but he might question his unbelievable packing skills.

Somehow, he managed to fit at least ten books in his suitcase along with his laptop and clothing. Kuroko glanced at the titles, and the texts ranged from nutritional guides to athlete biographies to mathematical theories.

Not a single fictional novel which Kuroko found rather sad.

Not that he understood when Akashi had time to read anyway.

For the second time in one week, Kuroko woke at around one in the morning. This time, he did not bother trying to go back to sleep. Once he turned over in bed, he immediately locked eyes on Akashi.

"Hello, Tetsuya. I apologize for waking you again. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Akashi currently placed a saucer over a cup to steep his own tea. Kuroko thought that he wanted to go to sleep, but then again, so few received an offer into Akashi's world, even temporarily.

"Yes, please."

Akashi offered Kuroko the cup already made and immediately began on another. He poured boiling water from a self-heated pitcher into another cup while Kuroko watched. The sixth man swung his legs over the side of his bed, and he curled his hands around the warm ceramic. Steam from the tea rose and tickled his nose.

"Do you often have midnight tea?" Kuroko inquired.

Akashi began to steep his own cup as he smiled. "It's an indulgence of mine," he replied.

Once Akashi deemed his tea worthy, he sat across from Kuroko on his own bed. "I do not often have someone share my tea with me."

"I imagine it is difficult to find a tea date in the wee hours of the morning," Kuroko agreed.

"Then I suppose I am lucky to have you," Akashi concluded with a wry grin.

If Kuroko was the blushing type, he might have flushed bright red then.

Akashi then guided the conversation to basketball matters, and Kuroko found himself easing with time. While he found it difficult to feel entirely comfortable in Akashi's presence, his defenses melted under the light banter. In fact, his eyelids started to flutter.

"Ah, I forgot to mention. This tea is actually a narcotic to help me sleep."

Kuroko barely registered the words before he fell over in a deep sleep, his cup slipping from his fingers.

When he woke the next morning, he was beneath the covers of his bed. His empty tea cup rested on the bedside table. Akashi was already gone.

When they packed up their things at the end of the week, Kuroko went over his words in his mind. He tried different sentences and thought of different approaches. By the time he decided on something, Akashi spoke first.

"What is on your mind, Tetsuya?"

Kuroko sighed. "Why did you choose me as your roommate?"

Akashi chuckled lightly. "I thought you would be the only one who could handle my behavior for such an extended time."

Kuroko supposed he understood that.


	15. Childish Games

**Childish Games**

Akashi intended to be nice.

A possible client cancelled their meeting, and while this annoyed him at first, he soon saw this as a potential opportunity. He left the office with instructions to his secretary to not let anyone contact him for the next few hours. Akashi then picked up lunch and a vanilla milkshake from Maji Burger.

He normally did not approve of Kuroko's affinity for fast food, but he might as well spoil his boyfriend when he could. If that meant feeding him unhealthy preservatives, then so be it.

Akashi took a cab to Kuroko's school, and he checked in at the office as a visitor. The secretary offered to buzz Kuroko, blushing as she posed the question, but Akashi shook his head. He wanted to surprise him.

While Akashi navigated the hallways easily, he still realized how out of place he looked. He wore a pressed suit and tie, and he walked among pastel wall drawings and motivational posters proclaiming the positive effects of reading and being yourself. He almost preferred the blank walls from when he helped Kuroko set up his classrooms during the summer.

He found the kindergarten hall, and he quickly identified the door with Kuroko on the nameplate. He briefly thought of that plate saying Akashi instead, and then he knocked.

When Kuroko opened the door, his eyes widened with surprise, and he smiled the tiniest bit.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Akashi held up the bag from Maji Burger and the vanilla shake. "May I bring my lover lunch?" He leaned forward and pressed a chaste kiss on Kuroko's cheek. The young teacher blushed profusely.

"I have another half hour before break, but you are welcome to come inside and wait. If you can keep from displays of affection in front of the children, that is," Kuroko demanded.

"I will control myself," Akashi promised.

Kuroko stepped back and allowed Akashi to enter. Seventeen pairs of wide eyes stared at the newcomer as Kuroko closed the door behind him.

"Kuroko-sensei, who's that?"

"Is he a bad guy?"

"He looks scary!"

Tiny voices chattered like monkeys, and Akashi remembered again why he preferred Kuroko's workplace during summer break. He never understood his lover's fascination with children, for such miniscule human beings disturbed Akashi more than they evoked feelings of affection. Besides Kuroko he did not particularly care for 'cute.'

"This is my special friend, Akashi-kun," Kuroko addressed his class. "He will be visiting us today, so be on your best behavior."

Again, the tinny of voices assaulted them.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Do you two love each other?"

"But I thought we were your special friends!"

Akashi halfway considered wrapping Kuroko in his arms then and kissing him against the dry-erase board, but he knew Kuroko really would kick him out if he attempted such a thing. Rather, he walked to the back of Kuroko's class and sat in his teacher chair, the plush one with rolling wheels.

"You are all my special friends. Now please return to your worksheets," Kuroko instructed.

Seventeen heads turned back to their desks though they grumbled even as they complied. Their small chubby hands scribbled furiously on the papers, and Kuroko walked between the rows of desks to watch over each one. He occasionally stopped to help a student with a problem or to offer encouragement.

Akashi enjoyed watching him in his natural element. While he found the children horrific, Kuroko genuinely liked the mongrels, and he knew exactly how to interact with them.

"Why are you in Kuroko-sensei friends?"

Akashi cut his eyes to a little boy with messy hair. He sat on the corner of Kuroko's desk rather than in a student desk with the rest of the children. His pencil hesitated on his paper as he glared suspiciously at Akashi.

"Why are you not in your proper desk?" Akashi challenged.

"Kuroko-sensei lets me sit here since I need his help reading. Why are you sitting in Kuroko-sensei's chair?"

His bottom lip stuck out petulantly, and he narrowed his purple eyes. Akashi felt the irrational urge to thump him, but he refrained.

"Kuroko does not mind when I sit here," Akashi said.

"No one is allowed to sit in Kuroko-sensei's chair."

"I am an exception. You should complete your work as your teacher told you."

"I don't wanna."

"You will remain uneducated and ignorant if you do not."

The little boy put his pencil down. "You're a meanie," he said, his expression twisting into an exaggerated version of a pout.

Akashi stared at the child in a mild form of shock. He had been called many things in his short life, and while few terms made it to his face, most of them could not be repeated in polite company. Nevertheless, in all his time of basketball in school and then work in the corporate world, no one had ever called him a 'meanie.' He could not even think of a proper response to such an utterance.

"And Kuroko-sensei likes me better than you."

Now Akashi realized that a reasonable response would be to ignore the five-year-old. He was a successful adult with his own company, and Kuroko went home with him every night. Nevertheless, Akashi was not always a reasonable person.

"I highly doubt that."

Big tears welled up in the child's eyes, and while Akashi kept his outward composure, he started to panic. How did one stop a child from leaking?

"I will pay you if you hush," Akashi said.

The student stopped immediately, the tears seemingly evaporating from his cheeks. "I want twenty bucks, and you have to buy me an energy drink."

"Deal."

"I changed my mind. Fifty bucks and a pack of energy drinks."

Akashi narrowed his eyes. "We already negotiated. You cannot go back on a deal."

"I'll start crying again," the kid warned.

Akashi was beginning to realize that children played by a different set of rules than most people. And others thought that the corporate world was ruthless. Akashi would much rather take on a crew of loan sharks or multi-billion dollar corporations rather than this small human with a trump card.

"Fine," Akashi said.

The kid smirked, and he opened his mouth to possibly demand more, but then Kuroko placed a hand on the back of his chair.

"Shou-kun, how are you doing on the exercise?" he asked.

Suddenly, sparkles entered the boy's vibrant purple eyes, and his violet hair practically danced as he turned his smiling face toward Kuroko. His voice raised a pitch higher into a sweet, excited coo as he proudly pointed to his mostly blank worksheet.

"Look, Kuroko-sensei! I did this one all by myself!" Then his bottom lip poked out, and he averted his eyes in exaggerated shame. "But I'm having trouble with the rest."

"Don't worry, Shou-kun, you are doing well," Kuroko assured him. "Do you remember the trick I taught you with this kanji?"

Shou nodded eagerly. "Yeah! You always have the best tricks, Kuroko-sensei!"

Kuroko glanced up to meet Akashi's eyes, and he tilted his head in inquiry. "Are you okay, Akashi-kun?"

Akashi struggled to keep from reaching over and snapping the little boy's pencil in half… and then possibly his wrist. Rather, he offered his lover a tense smile. "I am… fine."

"Ah, okay. Lunch is in five minutes. I believe there is some green tea in the teacher's lounge if you would like some," Kuroko said.

"Yes, that would be lovely."

Akashi did not run from his problems, but he had no shame in escaping Kuroko's classroom full of manipulative hooligans. He preferred opponents that he could defeat without causing a legal scandal, and he would rather not explain to Kuroko why he threw one of his students out the window.

He found the teacher's lounge, and he poured himself some hot green tea in a paper cup. When he returned to Kuroko's classroom, only empty desks greeted him. He shut the door behind him.

Kuroko straightened the stack of worksheets on his desk, and Akashi wrapped his arms around him from behind. A small gasp escaped the shorter man's lips, and he let go of the papers to twist around and face his lover. He smiled softly, and Akashi eagerly kissed his lips. Akashi normally preferred to begin gentle and then build up to aggression, but after a half hour of competing with a five-year-old, Akashi felt just the slightest bit possessive.

He nipped at Kuroko's bottom lip, and he moved his hands to support Kuroko's hips as he pressed one of his legs between his thighs.

"Seijuro," Kuroko gasped. He clutched at Akashi's shoulders more than he pushed him away, but Akashi still paused. "I am at work."

"That has not stopped us in my office, Tetsuya," Akashi pointed out.

"Yes, but you work in a big corporation which seems to inspire debauchery. This is my kindergarten classroom," Kuroko said.

Akashi kissed him once more on the corner of his mouth before backing away to normal conversation proximity. "I would not say your kindergarten classroom is as wholesome as it appears," he grumbled.

A small smirk teased Kuroko's lips. "Did you enjoy your conversation with Shou-kun?" he jibed.

"So you knew," Akashi accused.

Kuroko nodded, still smiling. "I am well aware of the mischievous tendencies of my students. I did not realize you were so susceptible to the whims of children."

When Akashi narrowed his eyes and looked away, Kuroko's smile softened, and he stood on his tiptoes to kiss Akashi on the cheek. "I am sorry," he apologized. "I should have rescued you sooner, but I must admit that I found it the tiniest bit funny."

"I can show you something far more entertaining," Akashi growled, pulling Kuroko closer.

"Ah, but my vanilla milkshake will melt more than it already has," Kuroko said with mock innocence.

Akashi sighed, but he released Kuroko once again. The young teacher smiled as his fingertips lingered on Akashi's arms. "Do not look so disheartened. You have been very sweet and thoughtful toward me today, and I plan to return the favor when we get home," he promised.

Akashi smiled, and they kissed once more before they sat down at Kuroko's desk. Akashi took the teacher chair, and Kuroko obligingly squeezed into the seat where Shou pretended to do his work. Kuroko managed to eat half of the burger that Akashi brought him and offered the rest to his lover. Akashi turned up his nose, but he eventually ate the other half. Kuroko finished all of his milkshake.

Akashi had originally intended to stay the rest of the day, but he decided it would be best to go back to the office for a few hours and then meet him at their home. Kuroko laughed softly, but he agreed.

That night, as Akashi held Kuroko close to him in their bed, he murmured into his lover's ear, "How do you deal with them every day?"

Kuroko smiled against his lips. A light film of sweat coated both their bodies, and their naked skin felt warm where they pressed against each other. Akashi almost forgot that he asked a question as he stared into Kuroko's blue eyes.

"I suppose it's practice," Kuroko finally whispered.

"Practice?"

"Well, the kindergarteners demand attention, and they require a lot of work. They tend to get competitive when they are challenged, and they want to do their best to please the person they admire, usually a teacher. They are also possessive when someone else trespasses on what they see as theirs."

Even before Kuroko finished with a kiss on Akashi's lips, he knew what to expect. "They remind me a lot of you, Seijuro."

Then Akashi pinned Kuroko to their mattress, and he quite effectively wiped all things elementary school from both their minds. When they finished for the second time that night, Akashi left a gentle love bite on Kuroko's neck, and they fell asleep entwined.

Not that it mattered, but Akashi felt as if he won.


	16. Anything for You

**Anything for You**

Kuroko never cared for Akashi's corporate formals. Too many people, too many suits and sparkly dresses, and far too many jokes that used race, gender, or the middle and lower classes as the punchline. If given the choice, Kuroko would have far preferred a quiet night with a cup of tea and a book, his lover's arms loosely wrapped around his waist as they drifted somewhere between awareness and sleep.

Instead, he donned a suit that never felt comfortable, and he brushed his hair into tameness. Even when he attempted a nicer look, he still paled in comparison to Akashi's ease and grace. Kuroko wanted to punch him almost as much as he wanted to kiss him.

"Are you ready?" Akashi inquired from the doorway of their bedroom.

Kuroko took one last look into the mirror and sighed. "I suppose."

A small smirk played on Akashi's lips. "Your reply lacks enthusiasm, love."

"You know how I feel about these dinners, Akashi-kun."

"I know, love, but do not worry. I will make it up to you."

Kuroko highly doubted that. Though Akashi took every opportunity to pamper him, there was nothing that could offset the horrors of encountering Akashi's colleagues again. They attended the company's Christmas formal every year since they started dating, and as much as Kuroko loved Akashi himself, he sometimes wondered why during this time of the year.

To be fair, Akashi did not take part in the horrid jokes or the shameless displays of wealth, but when Kuroko stayed at Akashi's arm during these parties, he could not help but think of the differences between them.

The formal went as normal. They allowed their coats to be taken at the doorway, and almost immediately, torrents of people begged for Akashi's attention. His position and obvious power attracted the people here as basketball lured in their other friends, and Kuroko suffered in silence.

He did not mind how no one seemed to notice him, especially when the rare times people did comment, more than a few subtle insults made Kuroko feel unworthy and ordinary compared to his boyfriend. He understood very well that Akashi could have any person, male or female, that he wanted and that he was plain and nothing special in comparison. Normally, he cared little, for they had lived together for years now, and he knew Akashi loved him. However, these parties had a tendency to emphasize the wrong details.

They ate a dinner in which Kuroko watched Akashi for guidance in using the correct utensils. He did his best to ignore the jokes.

Then they suffered through a slideshow that was meant to incite holiday spirit and provide entertainment but instead mostly boasted the company's success that year. Kuroko was beginning to wonder if these people lived on the same planet as the rest of them.

When the formal finally concluded, Kuroko barely kept himself from sighing with relief. They retrieved their jackets and departed with a speed only immense relief encouraged. Kuroko practically teleported to the passenger seat of Akashi's car.

Akashi himself chuckled softly as he slid into the driver's seat. "I take it that you enjoyed the dinner no more than you do every other year?"

"I would rather spend a day with Kise-kun than endure that again."

"Those are intense words, love," Akashi amended. "But I did promise you to make this up to you."

"Akashi-kun?"

Akashi reached into the backseat of the car and emerged with a thermos. He offered the travel mug to Kuroko with a smile, and when Kuroko took a sip, he smiled. "Hot chocolate," he determined.

"Sweetened with vanilla and candy cane," Akashi confirmed. He pulled yet another surprise from the backseat, this time two blankets. He draped one across Kuroko's lap, and he pulled the other around his shoulders, leaning close and taking the opportunity to lightly kiss his nose.

Kuroko wrinkled his nose, but he could not help the small smile.

Akashi then proceeded to lower the roof to his car, and Kuroko understood the need for the blankets. The cool air wrapped around them immediately, and Kuroko bundled deeper into the blankets. Akashi seemed unaffected by the cold and turned his radio on to a Christmas music station instead.

"You are making it difficult for me to stay mad at you over the formal," Kuroko pouted.

Akashi smirked. "That's the idea."

Kuroko sipped from the thermos as Akashi finally began driving, the city buildings even more beautiful without the roof of the car to block the review. However, the city became only a passing attraction when Akashi broke from the mainstream roads and drove into a park. A large sign made entirely from lights proclaimed 'Enchanted Forest of Christmas.'

Kuroko's eyes widened, and his lips parted in awe. Akashi laughed softly as he drove past the sign. After all, this was the beginning.

The park hosted display after display of animated lights and beautiful scenes. The glowing colors lit up their faces as they drove past each unique set, and Kuroko's expression became more childlike as he took in the beauty. With blankets comforting him and the taste of chocolate and peppermint in his mouth, Kuroko felt enthralled by both the Christmas music and the lights.

And the one who orchestrated it all.

Kuroko tore his gaze from the displays to stare at his lover, shades of blue and red highlighting the planes of his handsome face. Akashi had stopped the car to better see an animation of a glowing reindeer leaping over a golden star, and Kuroko leaned across the console to gently kiss his cheek.

Akashi smiled and turned his head until their lips met, tasting of chocolate and candy cane. When Kuroko pulled back, he murmured, "Thank you… for everything."

"Anything for you, my love."


	17. Cookies Are Evil

**Cookies Are Evil**

"Perhaps they will not burn this time if you wear the apron."

"Perhaps they will not burn this time if you can keep your hands to yourself, Akashi-kun."

A man of the Akashi family did not pout necessarily, but the corners of his lips tipped downward in a clear expression of disappointment. The apron in question, a frilly piece in red and black, returned to its place in the drawer.

"Kise gave us the apron as a wedding gift. He would be disappointed if we did not use it," Akashi pointed out.

Kuroko did not miss a beat, cracking eggs into a bowl as he replied, "Kise-kun also gave us another gift, but I don't hear you arguing to use _that._ "

Rather than revisit that particular line of conversation, Akashi slipped his arms around Kuroko's waist from behind and settled his chin on one shoulder. He watched as Kuroko added the last of the eggs to the mixture in the bowl and reached for the bag of white chocolate chips.

"This is the last of our ingredients, so we cannot let anything happen to this batch," Kuroko instructed. They both glanced to the trashcan where a steaming pile of charred cookie remains grimly stared back at them.

"We could always order any pastry you desire from a bakery," Akashi whispered into Kuroko's ear from his ideal vantage point.

Kuroko shook his head and expertly twisted away from Akashi's hold and handed him the bowl to be stirred in one smooth movement. As he took a towel and began wiping the counters of their workspace, he responded, "It's our first month in our first home together. We will make a decent batch of cookies by scratch if it burns down the kitchen."

"At this rate it will, and we will be moving into our second home soon enough."

Akashi stirred the thickening dough, but he still managed to catch the dishtowel before it landed directly in his face.

Kuroko had already turned to the drawers to find a cookie dough scoop, seemingly innocent. "I thought you'd be insistent at finally achieving culinary victory after our first three failures," Kuroko jibed.

"I do not consider the first three rounds failures, but rather a priority of victories," Akashi reasoned, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Akashi-kun will not get to eat any of the cookies if he keeps this up," Kuroko warned, taking the mixing bowl.

They alternated using the scoop to place cookie dough balls on the baking sheet, and if Akashi's turned out far too spherical, then Kuroko pointedly did not comment. Once twelve balls of cookie dough in varying quality lined up perfectly in the sheet, Kuroko put them in the oven, and Akashi smiled fondly at his husband.

"Fifteen minutes, and we are not letting them overcook," Kuroko said.

They managed exactly five minutes apart before Akashi persuaded Kuroko into one kiss which led to two which then somehow led to Akashi pressed against the fridge and Kuroko slipping his hands up his shirt. They only returned to their senses when the fire alarm sounded, and a very noticeable flame started to leap out of their oven.

Seven minutes later, a firetruck parked outside their apartment, and after some extinguishing and a quick explanation, Kagami ordered them never to cook together again.

Akashi and Kuroko agreed to make Kagami dinner the very next night.


	18. Stalemate

**Stalemate**

"You might as well announce yourself, Tetsuya. I know you're there."

Akashi did not actually glance up from his shogi board until Kuroko settled into the seat across from him. A table and a board game, pieces and all, stood between them, but the placement still felt intimate. Then again, as Akashi spent nearly every day of his life alone, even being in the same room as someone else felt significant.

"You cancelled our coffee date," Kuroko said. He stated the fact with cool indifference, but Akashi knew he would not have traveled all the way here if he had not been somewhat perturbed.

Akashi moved a piece on the board. "Yes, I did."

"Would you care to explain why?" Kuroko inquired. This time, he moved a piece though Akashi specifically set up the board to follow a game he once observed. Kuroko likely knew that and chose to divert from his course of action anyway.

"I'm sure you know why."

"If I knew why, would I have come here?" Kuroko challenged. Still no change in his flat tone.

Akashi tilted his head as he carefully observed the person in front of him. He wore a nice sweater with a collared shirt underneath. Slacks and casual shoes. However, his hair gave him away, for the blue locks fell in a far neater way than normal.

"You have suspicions already. You came here in a futile attempt to change my mind," Akashi deduced.

Kuroko only stared. Though Akashi learned to sense his thoughts and emotions after nearly a lifetime of friendship, he was still the most difficult person to read.

"Ah, so you _are_ angry," Akashi realized, and his lips twitched into a smile.

Finally, Kuroko's expression twitched into something like annoyance. "Not for the reason you think," Kuroko guessed. "I can always make coffee at home."

"If you're not angry over the cancelled date, then what ails you?" Akashi inquired. He made his next move and watched as Kuroko retaliated almost immediately.

"The reason behind the cancellation," Kuroko admitted. "You're pulling away from me. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"I suppose I would have to be concerned if you hadn't noticed. You are supposed to be something like a savior, are you not? The world finds itself dangerously close to peril if its protagonist cannot pick up even the most obvious clues."

Akashi almost regretted the words. If he had not specifically denied himself any emotions close to remorse, he might have felt some sort of pang when Kuroko's expression once again closed into unreadability. Then he reminded himself that this had a purpose. It was better that Kuroko pulled away from him.

"I believe you've always misunderstood the nature of Destiny," Kuroko said, the words barely a whisper of breath between them.

Now Akashi allowed a frown to mar his expression. "Not this again," he said.

"It's about choices," Kuroko insisted.

"That's a fairytale," Akashi dismissed. "We cannot fight the pieces we've been given. Dead mother, overbearing father. More expectations than someone of my age can handle. Everyone knows what I will become, and we both know that no matter how many coffee dates we have, we will become enemies, and you will have no choice but to destroy me.

"We might as well avoid the extra heartbreak," he murmured, almost an afterthought. Almost.

"I still don't understand why you think it will be me," Kuroko replied, just as quietly.

For a moment Akashi wished a snort would not be unbecoming from one such as him. After all, Kuroko was simply being ridiculous at this point. "Supportive parents. Faithful friends with too much power. A sense of determination that overcame physical weakness. The only missing piece is a childhood promise," he scoffed.

When Kuroko shifted uncomfortably in his chair, Akashi sighed. "You made a promise to a childhood friend, didn't you?"

"Perhaps."

"Then any argument is futile. Your Destiny is just as engraved in stone as mine. I will snap, and you will have no choice but to contain the fallout. Anything we do now will only meddle the income," Akashi rationalized.

Akashi made his final move and allowed himself a satisfied smile. It was the only pleasure he allowed himself. "The game was decided before the first move."

Then Kuroko moved a piece of his own, and suddenly, his checkmate was not a checkmate anymore.

"That move is illegal," Akashi said.

Kuroko smiled softly. "I bent the rules slightly, but I still used the piece I was given. I suppose we are at a stalemate now."

Akashi stared at him in a different light now, and for the first time since he realized the checkmarks of his past, he allowed himself the smallest hint of something like hope.

"I suppose so," he said.


	19. Former Teammates

**Former Teammates**

Akashi Seijuro does not startle.

Midorima may flinch, and Aomine may scream in previously unknown pitches. Most other people find some combination of both.

But Akashi does not. If he widens his eyes the tiniest bit and hitches his breath just a little, he's only surprised at the turn of events. But not startled.

"Hello," Kuroko greets as if this is normal.

Then again, perhaps this is to him. Though he always preferred to keep to himself, Kuroko also never exactly avoided others. He held no qualms in talking to anyone even when others would have cowered from intimidation. Kuroko faced some of the most powerful people in their generation without blinking, and now was no different.

"Kuroko," Akashi returns, and his voice is just as casual. He can pretend this interaction between them is normal, too. "How long have you been here?"

"I just sat down," Kuroko admits. Though his tone does not change, he seems a little impressed.

Relief hits Akashi much to his vague annoyance. At least he is not quite as inept as every other human who looks over Kuroko for minutes or even hours at a time. Still, he certainly wishes he had noticed his former teammate approaching instead of glancing to his side only to find the blue-haired boy already occupying the seat next to him.

All that aside though, the situation still does not make sense. Akashi travels alone today because the rest of Rakuzan felt no desire to watch a game when their own season had ended. Akashi understands the sentiment, but he feels an obligation to be here anyway.

Kuroko, however, has no reason to spend the game in this desolate corner with Akashi. He specifically chose this area because few people sit here, and he knows he saw the Seirin team sitting in a more open space. Kuroko should be with them.

"Why aren't you with your team?" Akashi asks.

Kuroko stares at the court below where two familiar teams are warming up. Basketball after basketball goes through both hoops as they continue their drills.

"I could ask Akashi-kun the same thing," Kuroko replies.

"Rakuzan has entered off-season," Akashi answers though Kuroko of course knows this.

They watch in silence as the two teams, one blue and one black, finish their drills and put away the basketballs. When there's only one minute before the tip-off, they huddle around their respective benches as the coaches give last minute instructions.

Akashi accepts at this point that Kuroko will likely spend at least the first quarter with him, but he hopes for continued silence. He supposes he should have known better.

The players are filing into their respective stances at the half-court line when Kuroko finally speaks.

"I know why you lost."

Akashi tenses though he's had plenty of time to come to terms with only the second loss in his entire life. The game took place two weeks ago, and he already faced the consequences with both his coach and teammates. And his father. While the former two acted surprisingly accepting, the latter reacted as exactly as Akashi expected.

"Akashi-kun is kinder than he'd let others believe," Kuroko continues.

"I believe you have the wrong idea," Akashi refutes. "I lost because I was not strong enough. I'm sure you understand."

Perhaps the last is unnecessary, but Kuroko doesn't even react. Seirin lost to Kaijo which lead to Kise defeating Midorima and then proceeding to the game today.

On the other end Rakuzan lost to Touou. Aomine then beat Murasakibara to face Kise in the championship match. Kaijou versus Touou. The battle for the Winter Cup in their second year.

"Kise-kun has been training very hard," Kuroko acknowledges.

"Aomine as well," Akashi grants, and he can't hide the fondness in his voice. A similar emotion peeks through Kuroko's expression. After all, as bitter as defeat tastes, they can appreciate more than anyone the miracle of Aomine actually showing effort once again.

Still, Kuroko is stubborn and not easily deterred. "This is true but not why Akashi-kun lost," he insists.

Akashi fights the urge to sigh. On the court the tip-off goes to Touou, but after a dunk from Aomine, Kise is already returning the favor.

"Let it go, Kuroko," Akashi demands. His voice no longer strikes fear into the hearts of others, but he can still be forceful if the occasion calls for it. The way Kuroko keeps persisting, he decides this one fulfills the requirements.

"Is Akashi-kun still determine to be the villain?" Kuroko asks.

"Are you still insisting on seeing otherwise?" Akashi retorts. His persona is slipping now, and though he despises appearing any less than collected, Kuroko always manages to penetrate that barrier.

"You never used ankle break," Kuroko says.

The urge to sigh strikes Akashi again, but he pointedly refrains. He knows others noticed how he never used ankle break during that game as well, but he suspects Kuroko is the only one to discern the true reason why. Everyone else speculated that it would not work against someone as agile and quick as Aomine. He and Kuroko both know it would have worked too well.

"He already strains himself enough," Akashi says. "He keeps his muscles too loose. His agility can be a curse as much as an advantage."

Of course they both know the words are useless as Kuroko must have already figured this all out.

"You were afraid that you might have seriously hurt Aomine-kun if you used ankle break on him. He's so fast and quick to change pace that suddenly falling in a way he wasn't prepared for would have strained a muscle," Kuroko clarifies.

Akashi nods. There's no point in denying what Kuroko already knows.

"The third years deserved the victory, and I failed them," Akashi says quietly. He would never have admitted such a thing to anyone else, but Kuroko already sees too much.

"You chose not to hurt a fellow basketball player. You did nothing wrong," Kuroko refutes.

"I favored a former teammate rather than my own team."

"Former teammate," Kuroko repeats. "Is that how you view us?"

The innocent question stalls Akashi, and though they both watch the game taking place below them, Akashi sees none of it.

Technically, former teammate is likely the closest descriptor, but is that true? Akashi remembers how they gathered to play street basketball on Kuroko's birthday, but more than that, he thinks of how they still keep their phone numbers. He would bet that they all know each other's game schedules as well as their own, and they keep tabs on each other in some way or another.

Perhaps that's a remnant of their legacy. Being a part of the Generation of Miracles was like enduring a trauma together as well as being a part of a team. There are some bonds that don't fade away easily.

But besides that, Akashi knows what Kuroko is implying.

If any one of the six of them — because Kuroko and Momoi are as much a part of the Generation of Miracles as the five of them — needed his help, Akashi would be there. They all would.

Perhaps former teammates is not exactly how Akashi views them, but he will admit to nothing further.

"You should be watching this game with Seirin, Kuroko," he says instead.

Kuroko tilts his head in contemplation. "Maybe," he admits, but he makes no move to leave.

They watch the game together. Kise's perfect copy overpowers even Aomine's chaotic style though Kuroko and Akashi both notice that Kise does not use ankle break either. Perhaps he, too, noticed Akashi's true intentions, or maybe it's an instinct. Either way, he and Kuroko both relax a little.

Kaijou wins by three points, and Kise cries, this time in happiness. Aomine looks as devastated as his first loss, but there's something else there, too. Almost like pride.

"I believe this was meant to happen," Kuroko admits.

"You would," Akashi says.

"I think you do, too."

"Maybe."

The teams line up and then file into their locker rooms. Akashi and Kuroko both know Kise and Aomine will find each other sometime tonight, but that will be something private between the two of them.

"Are you going home with Seirin, or would you like a ride?" Akashi offers, and the question surprises him as much as Kuroko.

The blue-eyed boy bites his lip, but when he comes to his conclusion, he's firm. "I'll text Kagami that I have found other arrangements."

Akashi nods and waits for Kuroko to finish typing in his phone. He drove here himself as he did not want the added presence of a chauffeur. He thinks of how he and Kuroko will be alone in his car together, but the idea is not as terrifying as it should be.

"Are you ready?" Kuroko asks.

Akashi stares at him, thinking about former teammates and how that's not really what he sees anymore. If he ever really did.

"Yes," he decides.


	20. It's Your Birthday

**It's Your Birthday**

"I have work."

"No, you do not."

"Tetsuya, this is not negotiable."

"You're right, Akashi-kun. This isn't negotiable. We are celebrating your birthday."

"We can go to dinner over the weekend, but I am busy on the twentieth."

"We go to dinner every weekend, and I know you would insist on paying. Your birthday happens once a year, and you are turning twenty-one. We are doing something special."

"Tetsuya."

"Seijuro."

Kuroko's impassive expression truly masked a devious soul, for he knew exactly what the sound of his given name did to Akashi. The conversation faded away among the stars as Akashi pulled Kuroko within his arms, and they nestled deeper into the blankets. Slow kisses replaced words.

…

When they woke the next morning, Akashi kissed the tip of Kuroko's nose before he slid out of their bed. Slipping into a robe, he washed his face and brushed his teeth before turning on the coffeemaker. Once the gurgle promised that caffeine would soon await them, he returned to their bedroom and touched Kuroko's shoulder.

"I'm off," he murmured to his lover. "Coffee is waiting for you. Enjoy your break and do not work too hard."

Even while half asleep, Kuroko managed a quick, "Isn't that last my line?"

Akashi smiled softly before leaving him alone to sleep. Kuroko's school was on Christmas break, and as hard as the young teacher worked normally, he deserved every moment of retreat.

Akashi just reached the doorway when he heard Kuroko add, "I have not forgotten last night's conversation, Akashi-kun. You might want to inform your office that you will not be there tomorrow."

He knew that pursuing any further argument would only make him late, so Akashi sighed and left the room. He changed into his usual suit, grabbed a travel mug of coffee, and exited their shared apartment. A quick car ride to the office, and he began another day of work.

…

"So I heard you are taking a personal day tomorrow."

Akashi glanced up from his computer to raise a single eyebrow at his secretary. "Excuse me?" he said even though he heard her statement perfectly. In fact he already guessed at just how she came to that conclusion.

Tetsuya.

"Yeah," she continued. "Your husband called. It's about time you take a day off. You have so much leave built up that I think you could disappear for a year and still be fine."

Ignoring the last part, Akashi sighed, "He is not my husband."

He had tried to keep his personal life separate from work, but from the moment Kuroko brought him lunch on a particularly busy day, his secretary eliminated that boundary. He must have corrected her once for every day they worked together, but she still insisted on this routine. To her credit though, she was efficient, and she adored Kuroko.

"Yes, when are you going to get to that?" she persisted.

Tired of this game and more than a little exasperated, he leveled her with a glare that others recognized as a fatal warning. "I believe I sent you some documents to file."

She nodded and left quickly enough, but that damnable smile never fell from her lips. Akashi returned to his own work.

After all, apparently he would not be in the office tomorrow.

…

"Welcome home, Akashi-kun."

Akashi slipped out of his coat before raising his eyebrows at Kuroko's appearance. He wore his usual clothing for days in the house, one of his own workout shirts and soft sweatpants, but he still appeared as composed and alluring as Akashi alway viewed him.

"My secretary informed me that I have taken a personal day tomorrow."

"I told you that the subject was nonnegotiable," Kuroko warned. "I made tofu soup for dinner."

"It is my turn to cook dinner tonight."

Kuroko shrugged. "Tomorrow's your birthday."

…

Akashi did not understand Kuroko's fixation on birthdays, but at the same time, he did. He remembered the special birthday in which he and his former teammates worked alongside Seirin to give Kuroko the celebration he deserved after the Winter Cup of their first year in high school. He cherished every smile Kuroko revealed then, and he understood the desire to make him happy.

He always sent Kuroko some sort of gift for his birthday during the rest of high school, and when they began dating during the first year of university, he spoiled Kuroko with lavish dinners and surprise trips on every January thirty-first up until now.

However, to have that same devotion directed to himself… was uncomfortable. His mother used to cook his favorite food and play games with him in the evening during his special day, but once she passed, the day become one just like any other in his household.

To have someone so determined to make the anniversary of his birth special… Akashi almost did not know how to respond.

…

That night, Akashi draped an arm over his mouth to muffle his embarrassing reactions, and he felt grateful that the darkness of their bedroom hid his blush. He squirmed and writhed, and when he finished at last, Kuroko politely wiped his lips with the back of his hand.

Akashi reached for him, and Kuroko happily obliged, their kisses sweet and full of promise.

When exhaustion draped over them both, Kuroko wrapped an arm around Akashi this time, and for one of the only times in his life, Akashi let himself be comforted and protected by someone he loved and trusted with all his heart.

…

Kuroko woke him with kisses, and Akashi slowly blinked into awareness. "You turned off my alarm," he accused once coherency returned to him.

"It's your birthday."

Those three words were starting to create a sense of both warmth and irritation inside of Akashi.

"How would you like to spend today?" Kuroko inquired.

"You have not planned every second?" Akashi replied drily.

Kuroko only shrugged, the sheets draping off of him. "I want you to have a day untouched by obligations. Do what you wish because you want to."

Akashi briefly thought of pointing out Kuroko's cheesiness, but then a soft smile lit up his face instead. "I have an idea," he admitted.

…

Akashi and Kuroko had been dating for almost three years now, and though there had been no great dramatics, it had still been a process that required trial and error on both ends. They eventually came to a compromise on names, and Kuroko allowed Akashi to call him Tetsuya, but he only felt comfortable using the other's first name in private, and sometimes not even then.

They also disagreed on dates at times, for Akashi preferred high-end restaurants while Kuroko enjoyed smaller establishments. However, once again, they found compromises.

Nevertheless, they both had parts of their lives that they hesitated to share even when they began to live together a year ago. For Akashi, he still hoarded his horse, Yukimaru, as his personal haven that he allowed no one to touch.

Until now.

…

"Are you sure, Akashi-kun?"

"He is perfectly trained. You have nothing to worry about."

"That is not what I meant."

Akashi met Kuroko's gaze and gently rubbed the back of his hand with his thumb. "I trust you, Tetsuya, and I want you in every part of my life."

…

Akashi long ago began saddling his own horse rather than leaving the task to the stablehands. He found the process comforting. Blanket, saddle, tighten the girth, secure the breast collar, latch the back girth. He elaborated on each step out loud as Kuroko watched.

He helped Kuroko into the saddle first and led him around the pen. Then he gave him the reins and quickly taught Kuroko the basics of guiding, stopping, and lightly touching the ribcage with his heels. Kuroko's apprehensions shown clearly in his eyes, but Akashi would not have allowed such a thing without full trust in his horse.

By the end of an hour Kuroko could successfully trot, but he drew the line at a canter. Akashi laughed, and he realized he had never felt so light in his life.

…

They showered afterward and dressed in casual clothing. Kuroko made a pie since Akashi did not particularly care for cake. Akashi sprayed whipped cream on his lover's nose and then licked it off. They barely saved the pie from burning.

…

The evening consisted of leftover tofu soup, pie, and a movie. They did not often indulge in this way, but Akashi liked the way that Kuroko fit into his arms. Akashi also enjoyed how he only needed to lean down slightly to plant kisses in Kuroko's hair and on his neck. Kuroko also squirmed quite adorably when he kissed that particular place between his neck and shoulder.

Needless to say, Akashi gathered very little of the conflict of the movie. He still guessed the plot twist at the end though.

…

Akashi pressed Kuroko against practically every surface on their way to the bedroom that night. The couch, kitchen table, multiple walls. But when they finally reached the bed, clothing lost along the way, Kuroko flipped their positions until Akashi looked up at him from his place on the mattress.

Kuroko straddled him and leaned down to plant a trail of kisses from his lips to his neck. Then he paused to whisper, breath hot on Akashi's ear, "Let me take care of you tonight."

"Tetsuya." If his voice trembled a bit, neither acknowledged it.

"It's your birthday, Seijuro."


End file.
